IAPB2010 St. Louis Information

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St. Louis Information If you are arriving in St. Louis a few days before or staying a few days after the Congress, there are lots of fun and interesting places to see and things to do on your own. St. Louis is a place where history and imagination come together to create a Midwest destination like no other. Red brick buildings, cobblestone streets, terra cotta friezes and stained glass are part of the tapestry of St. Louis’ amazing architectural heritage. From its beginnings as a simple French village founded in 1764, St. Louis has grown into a charming, exciting and character-filled community. St. Louis offers free family attractions, music, dining, nightlife, great sports, history, arts and entertainment and colorful neighborhoods. Click on this link to find out more information about St. Louis: www.slfp.com and www.explorestlouis.com/visitors/visitorServices.asp. Check the visitor’s brochure in your hotel room for more complete information on what to do and see but below are some highlights we like. All arrangements are the responsibility of the attendee.		Map of Downtown Metrolink Sightseeing outside St. Louis Car Rental MapQuest Coupons

	The Gateway Arch is the tallest national monument in the United States at 630 feet. It is the city's best known landmark and a popular tourist attraction. You’ll also be able to visit the Arch Wednesday afternoon on a tour specially offered for Congress attendees.

	The Missouri Botanical Garden opened to the public in 1859 and began to grow in the European tradition of horticultural display. Today, the Missouri Botanical Garden is a center for science, conservation, education, and horticultural display. You’ll also be able to visit the Missouri Botanical Wednesday afternoon on a tour specially offered for Congress attendees. (photo: courtesy Missouri Botanical Garden)

	The Saint Louis Science Center is one of the top five science centers in the U.S. Its complex includes a four-story OMNIMAX® Theater, the air-supported EXPLORADOME and the James S. McDonnell Planetarium. Its mission is to ignite and sustain lifelong science and technology learning.

	City Museum is located in the heart of Downtown St. Louis' Loft District. Inside the museum is a mix of funhouse, playground, architectural marvel, and surrealistic pavilion made out of unique, found objects. Visitors can browse architectural relics, scoot their way through tubes and tunnels, explore man-made caves, and become living art as they explore an interactive sculpture.

	Circus Flora was established as a theater company, specializing in an ensemble, one-ring circus - performed in a big top tent - that would be accessible and affordable for all. This performing arts organization set out to acquaint audiences with the joy and power of the classic, European-style circus. St. Louis is fortunate to be one of only four cities in the country with a circus of its very own.

	Located in St. Louis County’s Faust Park, the central feature of The Butterfly House is an 8,000 square foot glass conservatory where visitors mingle with more than 60 species of the world’s most beautiful butterflies in free flight. The Butterfly House was the first in the world to be granted accreditation by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). (photo: courtesy Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House)

	Laumeier Sculpture Park is a 105-acre, open-air museum just 20 minutes from downtown St. Louis. Open from early morning to sunset, all year round, the outdoor collection of more than 70 sculptures by artists of international acclaim makes Laumeier one of the region's must-see attractions. (photo by Ray Marklin/Laumeier Sculpture Park.)

	Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, located across the Mississippi River in Collinsville, Illinois, is the site of the largest prehistoric Indian settlement north of Mexico. At its peak around AD 1100, it had 120 mounds and a population of 10-20,000. A world-class Interpretive Center tells the story of this great Mississippian Indian city. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays (subject to change).

	A St. Louis tradition on Old Route 66 since 1929. Ted Drewes Frozen Custard is known for specialty “concrete” shakes so thick you can turn them upside down.

	One of the largest urban parks in the U.S. at 1,371 acres, Forest Park is approximately 500 acres larger than Central Park in New York City. It is home to the world-class Zoo, Art Museum, Jewel Box, and The Muny. Forest Park is the “Crown Jewel” of St. Louis and is widely used for recreation with bicycle paths, baseball diamonds and lawn tennis courts. An expanded lake provided park-goers with an opportunity for boating in the summer and skating in the winter.

	Saint Louis Zoo, a world-class, state-of-the-art biopark, is home to more than 3,000 animals. Additional attractions include the Emerson Children's Zoo, Fragile Forest, River’s Edge, Penguin & Puffin Coast, Monsanto Insectarium, Mary Ann Lee Conservation Carousel, sea lion shows, bird house, and more. Admission is free. (photo: courtesy of Saint Louis Zoo)

	The Saint Louis Art Museum, one of the nation's leading comprehensive art museums, contains more than 30,000 works of art from virtually every culture and time period. Admission to the Museum is free every day. Admission fees to featured exhibitions vary; admission to featured exhibitions is always free on Fridays.

	With its unconventional, cantilevered, vertical glass walls rising majestically 50 feet high, the Jewel Box opened in 1936 to national acclaim. The Jewel Box was "the latest word in display greenhouses." The permanent floral displays are supplemented with seasonal flowers from the city’s greenhouses. The recently completed $3.5 million renovation of the Jewel Box insures that it will be a St. Louis jewel for future generations.

	The World Bird Sanctuary's mission is to preserve the earth's biological diversity and to secure the future of threatened bird species in their natural environments. We work to fulfill that mission through education, captive breeding, field studies and rehabilitation.

	The Wild Canid Survival and Research Center (WCSRC), popularly known as the Wolf Sanctuary, is a private, nonprofit conservation organization dedicated to the preservation of the wolf and other endangered canids through education, research and captive breeding.

	For daylife or nightlife, check out Laclede’s Landing, the Central West End, the Delmar Loop, and Washington Avenue.

	MetroLink, the St. Louis region’s light rail system, has been called one of the best mass transit services in the country. With 37 stations spanning 46 miles in Missouri and Illinois, MetroLink connects you with important destinations throughout the region.

	As a major sports town, St. Louis is the home of the St. Louis Cardinal baseball team, 2006 World Series Champions. The “Cards” will be in town playing the Milwaukee Brewers Friday, June 4, through Sunday, June 6. Click on the link provided here to buy tickets.

	Skyzone Recreational Center offers the next dimension in sports, fun, and fitness. All activities take place on all trampoline-walled playing fields where players are moving on the ground, zooming through the air, and running on sidewalls all at the same time. Anyone can successfully and safely participate regardless of size, strength, or physical ability. You’ll need a car to get there as it is located in the county but as it is one of only two such facilities in the U.S., we thought it would be worth the drive. Take in The Butterfly House on the way!